The Roto Rooter guy just saw my preps!

[Gizmo]

Our main line backed up and the Roto Rooter guy used the cleanout at the backflow valve to clean it out. (There goes $200). Anyway, I guess he needed a bit more room for his machine and opened the closet door where my canned preps and water are to get a few more inches of room (he was a really big guy with a big machine). Needless to say, a few cases of water had to be moved out of the way. I went down there and saw the closet open and silently said, "oh sht!". Since we had been joking about a lot of stuff, I just told him that I was an urban survivalist but seeking treatment through a 12 step program called Prepper's Anonymous. All he wanted to know was where to get 8 packs of canned fruit because he really likes canned fruit and was impressed with my Mandarin oranges (as he said "heh, heh, heh" and twisted his imaginary mustache) Funny guy and 20 years my junior. He also said his mom keeps a full pantry and I am probably his mother's age.

I don't fault him for opening the closet because I told him that I would move anything he wanted out of the way but was limping around with a cane so he didn't want me to do anything and they don't like people hanging around yakking at them.

He is not a prepper by far but not even mildly interested in all that other stuff either. I hope he forgets about it. He saw some packages of targets down there too and we chatted a bit about guns. I hope he remembers that part
I wonder what he thought of the big blue barrels?

I have to admit feeling a slight bit of pride in my preps and perhaps putting a bug in his ear. After all, it was just a unfortunate happenstance.

Sigh. Now I have a sink full of dishes to do and a bathroom and laundry room to mop and disinfect.......tomorrow.

Sorry this turned out to be such a long post!

 

[iboya]

I know what you mean, 2 Earthlink guys saw my preps (after the first guys couldn't figure out how to drill through the floor).

 

[Tundra Gypsy]

I always grimance when the pest control guy has to go into my basement and spray for spiders. I have to let him into the room where I have all my stuff stored too. He doesn't say anything to me and I don't make any comments either. I'm hoping that he sees lots of that kinds of stuff when he's spraying other homes in the area. I'm now thinking about building a fake closet where the door is and put a removeable door on the back of the closet. I won't let him spray there anymore or I'll get someone different. The less folks that are in my basement the better I feel. And as far as blue barrels go, I have some in the garage and have a big blanket over them and stuff piled up around them to draw attention from them when I have to open the garage to get my car in and out.

 

[FireDance]

That's sad. Now you'll have to kill him. Actually, it's pretty funny because now he'll tell about this "strange old lady" that is a packrat and then he and his friends will trade a few stories about the weird things they've seen on jobs. Since most of these things will be about sex, they will forget about the packrat - maybe...

Sorry you have to disinfect now. Ick. Ain't life fun?

 

[Intergator]

About 3 years ago someone broke in my house when I was out of town. The cop taking the fingerprints and stuff opened my cabinets on the headboard of my bed - one was filled with canned hams, the other with 2 cases of eco fuel and burner. I told him it was for my camper. But he still looked at me like I was nutz.

 

[window2watcher]

Me too, only it was my 2 safes. I could have died. Now I have to find a new place for them and I had them in a place that was accessable and only and inspector would think to look there, or so I tell myself.

 

[JohnGaltfla]

Sad part is under HSA, they want you reported to the gubmint for making preps like that because you could be a "concern" should TSHTF. Better hope the Roto Rooter guy isn't a card carrying 1984 fan of Big Brother.

 

[barb43]

When we first moved in here, and Sweetie built the big pantry on one end of the laundry room for our preps, the nice neighborlady across the street came over to admire the house (she hadn't been in it since the previous owner had moved to a nursing home about a year earlier). She walked through the laundry room, and her eyes got big as she scanned the shelves from floor to ceiling. I smiled and said, "Oh, we like to be stocked up in case of emergency." She made some comment about how she keeps a few extra things on hand too.

We've been neighbors for 3-1/2 yrs. now and i'll be darned if they haven't filled their garage shelves full of canned goods, water, household repair supplies, etc.

 

[Gizmo]

Canned hams in the headboard cabinet!?! That is good. Kinda kinky I will bet they were thinking! All I can think of right now is that movie with the character, Fat Bastard, eating ham in bed. Ack! I don't think I want eco fuel that close at night either.
Oh! I forgot about the stack of 36 double roll TP that was next to the closet. I didn't even think about it. The Roto Rooter guy was probably thinking that they were the problem with the main line clogging up. Those darn womens use too much tp and all! All he found was roots though. We will always use Root Destroyer from now on.

 

[Gizmo]

Firedance - actually I used to work for Roto Rooter. Those guys have lots of funny stories about want they pull out our plumbing. Mine isn't much. More like pulling false teeth, whole fish and christmas lights out of the toilet etc.

 

[RCSAR]

Everyone who sees it will remember.

It might be filed away somewhere in the mind, but when people get real hungry they will recall it all.

RCSAR

 

[hrspwr]

I am a self-employed plumber and have seen ALL kinds of funky things go down the drain, I would never dime out a customer to DHS for having hams in the headboard.
I have been in basements that you could barely walk through because of the stash some folks keep. Sometimes it borders on a fire hazard.

 

[Gizmo]

RCSAR - you are probably right. At least this guy said he live in a far flung outter suburb. He would have to drive into the hood to get my stuff. If I were him, I wouldn't do that. Ya never know though.

 

[FireDance]

Firedance - actually I used to work for Roto Rooter. Those guys have lots of funny stories about want they pull out our plumbing. Mine isn't much. More like pulling false teeth, whole fish and christmas lights out of the toilet etc.

A whole fish? Man. I can only imagine the types of things that any kind of service person sees every day. I've heard some funny stories, but never a whole fish. And Christmas lights? One can only imagine. Did you ask how any of these things got there? Surely you can tell...

 

[Intergator]

Canned hams in the headboard cabinet!?! That is good. Kinda kinky I will bet they were thinking! All I can think of right now is that movie with the character, Fat Bastard, eating ham in bed. Ack! I don't think I want eco fuel that close at night either.

You're right. Now if you look in my headboard cabinets you'll see .45, .22. 12ga ammo and a few handguns.

I moved all that fattening and dangerous stuff somewhere safer.

 

[Gizmo]

Firedance - the Christmas light thing was really weird. The rooter guy put in the cable thing and intead of it going down to the main line, because of the tork that those machines get, it went up the vent pipe to the roof, crawled to the edge and snagged the Christmas lights that were along the roof line. He then proceded to pull them through the toilet. He was seriously embarrassed. There are stories of the cable coming up through the floor drains in the basement and snagging clothes etc and dragging them back through the kitchen clean-out etc. too. Must be embarrassing to pull out underware through the kitchen clean out. I am sure that many are urban legends but funny anyway.
My husband did pull a salmon out of the main drain once. Some people still put food down the toilet. Some things are just too big. Errr.....all food is too big for the toilet except clear soup.
Some women still put those tampons and napkins down the toilet which is a BIG no no. Nothing more humiliating than the Roto Rooter guy with his cable covered in used tampons. They have to tell you what they found and you can look at it if you want. Heh.
Sorry - I drifted my own thread.
I just hope the guy remembered the firearm conversation. He knows that our dogs are no good. They fawned all over him. It was pathetic but the dogs loved him.

 

[Walrus Whisperer]

Just tell him you're Morman!

 

[rolph]

We've had quit a few workmen in here the past several months. They never commented on what they saw. We have a bedroom devouted to camping gear, BOB's, etc....filled rubbermaid heavy duty shelves. The county inspector has even been here and the cops one time when we had an incident in the neighborhood.

The cop was shocked as hell when we invited him in. Guess they are used to dealing with druggies and hostile people. We're new in town, so we let them get a good sniff of normal people. From the foyer of course.

The only one that commented was the neighbor! Oh god I freaked. He asked if someone was in the military when he saw all the olive drab gear. I told him, we're into camping and our son likes to collect stuff. He spotted his AR and asked questions. Turns out he's a nice guy, lives next door, asked the other day if our son wanted to sell the AR. I said, no I'd break his legs, because he still owes me $ on it.

Then the conversation turned to saving $ on utilities and he's into going off the grid on a city lot. He's more ticked at the water company than the elec/ng and wants to drill a well. I told him that's cool. Every little bit helps

We talked about watching each others back from burglars and even talked about setting up video surveillance cameras to cover both yards.

With papered guns and the mail order catalogs that we get here, they know where to find us. After 9/11 and Katrina, the government, media, county governments are telling us all to prepare, so we're not weirdos like we once were.

We're mainstream now, and have no need to elaborate or defend our choices in having a "few things on hand." Most people these days are just trying to survive the best way they know how and stocking up on things on sale is just another way to save.

 

[rolph]

Just tell him you're Morman!

EXCELLENT advice WW!

 

[gillmanNSF]

You should have nonchalantly asked him what's the best way to dissolve bone before ya let him go.

 

[RCSAR]

Here is an idea some may wish to use.

Some things can be hidden in plain sight. This is based on managing peoples perceptions (its not what they know, its what they THINK they know!).

For pails and other storage containers thiis seems to work well. Fire up the computer and get to work on printing peel and stick stickers. Get creative and begin working on something like this.

Make some stickers to place on the boxes/pails. They should read something along these lines.

Biodegradeable All Natural
(put some kind of logo here)
RAIN PURE
WASHING POWDER

NON TOXIC BIODEGRADEABLE Safe For Septic Systems

Net Weight 60 pounds Pure Sunshine Directing Marketing inc.​

You may also want to put a STOCK CODE on the label in a simple code so you can know the real contents. For instance STOCK CODE - 9021. Then keep a sheet handy that tells you 9021 is sugar and 9590 is flour. You get the idea. You can even include a ROTATE CODE or USE BY CODE on the label so you know when to use it by..

Make different ones to explain the assorted box/pail sizes. Something like BRUSHES or FABRIC SOFTNER or MARKETING BROCURES or DISHWASHING PACKETS. Use you imagination.

Let the people THINK they know what it is. Just a little misdirection will go along way to improving security. Be sure its marked as something that is not a fire hazard. If they ask about it, tell them it is product from a now defunct directmarketing company and you sell the remaing stock you have at flea markets or EBay.

Be creative. Its simple and a cheap insurance to help people explain it away and forget it.

RCSAR

 

[angelight]

Some of our kids friends have seen the preps we have-
they just tell the friends
some moms have collections of cow figures
some moms have collections ofshoes
MY mom collects groceries

al

 

[cory]

Oh, you are good.

aaaallHere is an idea some may wish to use.

Some things can be hidden in plain sight. This is based on managing peoples perceptions (its not what they know, its what they THINK they know!).


Net Weight 60 pounds Pure Sunshine Directing Marketing inc

MARKETING BROCURES

If they ask about it, tell them it is product from a now defunct directmarketing company and you sell the remaing stock you have at flea markets or EBay.

tell them you got stuck with it as it's not a very good product, some folk say it gums up the plumbing or something like that.

You'll see them ease away from you.

 

[Calrissian]

I've not seen it said before...

but the only really feasible people who can stockpile anything significant (more than a month), are those in the relative 'outback' or at least out of the cities/towns.
---

You all know that your neighbours would be ransacking your home within a couple of days if they ran out of basics. Hell, even the local govt/police would raid your home if they thought there was something there they could use or distribute to those they deemed in need.

So, for those in the cities/towns, unless you are an exceptionally private person and keep things literally 'under wraps' and are sure NO ONE knows you have anything (including ALL friends/relatives), there is little point to storing more than a few weeks of stuff.

Sad situation.
--
*as for stuff in the headboard. hmm, that does sound real weird.

 

[Vere My Sone]

Has anyone ever read the book
"Island on Bird Street"

It's a kids book.
Translated into english
true story

about being in the Warsaw getto
people were building secret holes, rooms to store food and people
there was even one underground area for several families, but, of course, the person who sealed them in told

it's about a boy surviving without his family
has a pet mouse which helps him find food in the empty apartments
amazing how little food he consumed

so, building a false wall isn't such a kooky idea, or at least not a new kooky idea

 

[TerriHaute]

Here is an idea some may wish to use.

Some things can be hidden in plain sight. This is based on managing peoples perceptions (its not what they know, its what they THINK they know!).

This is kinda what I do. I work in an office and save those wonderful boxes that paper packets for the printer come in. They are about 12"W x 18"L x 10"H, very sturdy, and have a separate lid. They hold a lot of stuff. I stack them in the spare room closet or garage and you can't tell what is in them. I don't label them, but on some have written a small letter to indicate the contents, like R for rice or V for canned vegetables. I mix them in with other boxes of stuff, like out of season clothes, or household goods destined for Goodwill, or outdoor Christmas decorations. No one has ever paid any attention to them. Since I am a semi-stealth prepper, not even DH knows how many of them contain preps.

Terri in Indiana

 

[Rex Jackson]

Its ok if one, two or three see your preps, just don't brag. People know if you have preps, you have a gun..

Also, they know if you brag, you are a moron and will be an easy over-run.

never brag.

 

[cleobc]

I get creative with my box labeling: Grandma's old clothes, science textbooks, dog bedding. Thinking of using hymnals. One hopes that burglars would read too.

 

[SmokeyBear]

Well, Gizmo, I am afraid there is only one thing for you to do..

You must silence him asap or he will tell the others____________________


[Kidding!]

 

[Christian for Israel]

well, we don't have storage in our headboard, but our nightstands are surplus linear file cabinets and are full of food...

 

[SmokeyBear]

About 3 years ago someone broke in my house when I was out of town. The cop taking the fingerprints and stuff opened my cabinets on the headboard of my bed - one was filled with canned hams, the other with 2 cases of eco fuel and burner. I told him it was for my camper. But he still looked at me like I was nutz.

He was probably trying hard to imagine just what it was you did with those..uh..uh..unusual sex toys.

 

[twincougars]

Just be carful about leaving anything out in the open that even remotely could hint at drugs or explosives. Even how-too literature for home-made granade launchers, silencers, etc.--anything that some ignorant cityslicker might interpret as subversive. Maybe camoflage your reloading powder containers, too, if you have any. Likewise, the various chemicals that could be used to make methamphetamine--I think toluene, a common solvent, is one of them. Someone seeing them could report you as having a meth lab or a bomb-making lab, and there you go.

 

[dragonslayer2001]

You KNOW

what to do.

Go dark.

Don't ever talk of it again.





ps. wear gloves.

 

[Hansa44]

If someone sees your preps, just say, "I can't pass up a good sale" and roll your eyes like you already know your a whacko for doing this.

 

[MrsJackpineSavage]

Say Gizmo,

How many cases of Mandarin oranges have you got?

 

[Camasjune]

I had 3 different service people see my preps last week, it didn't seem to register with them, they were sitting in the middle of disarray and chaos. What really makes their eyes bug are the ammo crates for 75mm exploding head artillary shells and Kinepak nitroglycerin boxes. I blow that off with "Daddy was an avalanche specialist, sturdy storage containers."

What frosts my butt is my uberprepper neighbor who tells and shows everyone their preps, and now has told someone else I am a prepper. The more people who know means more people I may have to shoot later!

 

[Warthog]

Hope he didn't see any guns, or the brown shits will be knocking on your door.

 

[Tucson Sal]

The battery in my car died today - the car guy who changed my battery saw my car.

 

[Gizmo]

I don't think he would understand even if I told him that I was Mormon,
I only have 2 boxes of Mandarin oranges but he only saw one. I also have a big buffet type cabinet type thing with cupboards and drawers that I got cheap and unfinished at Home Depot. That is where some fruit and all the pasta sauces are. He may have peeked in there because he was laying down right against it. The backflow valve is recessed in the floor. I dont think so though.
Good thing he lives far away.

You guys are too funny.

 

[CSB]

A loudmouth church guy was in our basement one day and made a few comments about our prep. But he didnt seem to notice the reloader on the bench just to the left of the preps. Hubby does 5 stand and skeet and reloads his own. What a man.